Classic Rock News

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND POSTPONES FINAL FOUR NYC SHOWS
The Allman Brothers Band has been forced to postpone the remaining four shows of their annual residency at the Beacon Theatre in New York City while Gregg Allman continues to recover from bronchitis. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band was scheduled to wrap its run with shows tonight, tomorrow, Friday and Saturday. Ticketholders have been instructed to hold on to their tickets, which will be honored for the soon-to-be-announced rescheduled dates.
ACTOR ADDRESSED SAFETY CONCERNS ON SET OF ALLMAN BIOPIC
Actor William Hurt raised questions about the safety of filming on a train track days before camera assistant Sarah Jones was killed on the set of the upcoming Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider. Hurt, who is playing the older Allman, sent an email to a friend wondering “how long the crew had to get off if my some impossible chance another train came” and said he was told 60 seconds. He went on to write his friend, “I said, ‘Sixty seconds is not enough time to get us off this bridge.’ We didn’t have 60 seconds, we had less than 30.” The incident is still under investigation and production has been suspended.
YES SAY YES TO 35-SHOW SUMMER U.S. TOUR
Progressive rock pioneers Yes will thrill fans Hampton, NH to Tulalip, WA during the Grammy-winning band’s forthcoming 35-date U.S. tour which gets underway July 8 in Boston and wraps August 24 in Los Angeles. The summer stretch will feature the legendary band performing – in their entirety – their 1971 classic Fragile and 1972’s Close to the Edge in cities such as New York, Nashville, Atlanta, Albuquerque, Munhall, PA, Madison, WI, Louisville, Lincoln, CA, Grand Prairie, TX, Grand Ronde, WA, St. Petersburg, FL and San Diego, among others. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
MOTLEY CRUE BIOPIC DIRECTOR DISHES DIRT ON FORTHCOMING FILM
In a recent interview, Motley Crue biopic director Jeff Tremaine explained his take on the direction of the upcoming film based on the band’s autobiography The Dirt. Tremaine said, “I’m not coming into this movie as a super fan. I’m attracted to this material because I’ve lived it. That book, I just connected to it on so many levels and its’ incredible fun and tells a real story. I’m not even out to make a rock movie. I’m making a really interesting movie and it’s set in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s set in a really loud time and place. Ultimately, it’s going to be a great movie.”
HYNDE HONES IN ON RELEASE DATE FOR FIRST-EVER SOLO ALBUM
Longtime Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde Monday released more details on her upcoming first-ever solo album Stockholm, which will be available June 10. In addition, Hynde took the wraps off the record’s first single, “Dark Sunglasses.” Commenting on her first official “solo” album, Hynde said, “It’s the first album with my name on it, but it’s not a solo album. In fact, making this album was more of a collaboration than any Pretenders album ever was.”
IDOL UPDATES PROGRESS ON NEXT STUDIO ALBUM
It’s been nearly a decade since Billy Idol released a new set of all-new original songs, but the former Generation X singer is hoping to have his next record out by Halloween. On Monday, Idol issued an update on his forthcoming album BFI, confirming the record is scheduled for an October release. Meanwhile, last week he tweeted: “Did some final vocal touch ups today on a couple of tracks & the #BFI album is now nearing completion. One more song to add & that will be it.”
METALLICA RELEASES DIO TRIBUTE TRACK “RONNIE RISING”
The highly anticipated Ronnie James Dio: This is Your Life tribute album is slated for an April 1 release, but on Monday Metallica shared its epic 9:04 homage medley “Ronnie Rising.” Metallica’s mammoth metal medley seamlessly segues iconic Dio cuts “A Light in the Black,” “Kill the King,” “Tarot Woman” and “Stargazer.” Additional acts paying tribute to the tremendously talented late vocalist include Anthrax, Motorhead and Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, among many others.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
New albums out today: Asia – Gravitas; Rod Stewart – Tonight’s the Night: Live 1976-1998 (Four-CD Box Set); Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition); Various – Bob Dylan in the 80’s: Volume One; Beth Hart-Joe Bonamassa – Live in Amsterdam.